Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Constance
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Discover
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?

Constance

queen of Sicily
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Constanza, Konstanze
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
German:
Konstanze
Italian:
Costanza
Born:
1154
Died:
Nov. 27, 1198, , Palermo
Also Known As:
Constanza
Konstanze
Notable Family Members:
spouse Henry VI
father Roger II
son Frederick II
See all related content

Constance (born 1154—died Nov. 27, 1198, Palermo) was the queen of Sicily (1194–98) and Holy Roman empress-consort (1191–97). Her marriage to a Hohenstaufen gave that German dynasty a claim to the throne of Sicily and her political skill preserved the throne for her son.

The daughter of King Roger II of Sicily, Constance married the future emperor Henry VI in 1186 and was crowned with him in Rome in 1191. On the death of her nephew William II (1189), she claimed the Sicilian throne. The Sicilians, however, supported Tancred of Lecce, her natural nephew, who waged war against her and actually held her prisoner. The death of Tancred (1194) allowed Henry and Constance to take the throne of Sicily.

When Henry died in 1197, Constance consolidated her power in the kingdom, secured the protection of Pope Innocent III, and succeeded in having her son, the future emperor Frederick II, crowned king in April 1198.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.